Research

Aileen Anderson, PhD, is working to understand spinal cord injury and the role of inflammatory mechanisms in degeneration and regeneration in the injured central nervous system (CNS).

Her research involves the study of human CNS stem cell engraftment in the injured CNS and the mechanisms for the promotion of neurological recovery.
 

Brian Cummings, PhD, is interested in neurotrauma and neuroregeneration, both at the cellular level and from a broader behavioral perspective. He is also interested in ethics and informed consent for clinical trials.

His lab studies the interaction of human neural stem cells in the normal, injured and aged CNS niches, and the link between neurotrauma and subsequent development of Alzheimer’s disease pathology and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. His lab is also screening neuroprotective drugs in a three-dimensional in vitro model of traumatic brain injury.
 

Magdalene Seiler, PhD, focuses on developing retinal progenitor sheet transplants as a clinical treatment for retinal diseases, such as retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration, which affect both photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE).

The current focus of her research is to develop human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) into transplantable sheets of 3-D retina and RPE, and to demonstrate vision restoration at the level of the superior colliculus and visual cortex in rat models of retinal degeneration.

She also collaborates with Brian Cummings, PhD, to investigate whether human mesenchymal stem cells reverse retinal pathology and functional deficits resulting from repeated brain trauma.
 

David Reinkensmeyer, PhD, has research interests in robotics and wearable sensors for neurorehabilitation, as well as in computational neuroscience for movement control.

His research group designs technologies for movement rehabilitation after neurologic injury based on an understanding of neuromuscular plasticity mechanisms. Developing improved technology for rehabilitation movement training after neurologic injury not only helps people improve their movement recovery, but also enhances scientific understanding of use-dependent plasticity.

Such technology and computational models will play an essential role in assessing and enhancing forthcoming neuro-repair therapies.

Reinkensmeyer has served for 10 years as the editor-in-chief for the Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation, which is the top-ranked journal in rehabilitation (Scopus). He has served on the NIH National Advisory Board on Medical Rehabilitation Research. He is a co-inventor of the T-WREX arm training exoskeleton, commercialized by Hocoma as ArmeoSpring. It is now in use in more than 1,500 rehabilitation facilities worldwide for people with stroke, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and orthopedic injuries. He is also co-inventor of the MusicGlove hand training device, now being commercialized by Flint Rehabilitation Devices and in use by more than 10,000 people. He is co-director of the NIDILRR COMET Robotic Rehabilitation Engineering Center and a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.
 

Kelli Sharp, PT, DPT, focuses her research on two main pillars:

• The first pillar focuses on injury prevention and wellness for dancers using a motion-capture system and applying methods of analysis to determine the relationship of motion in space to further reduce injuries.
   
• The second pillar focuses on the development of novel technologies to advance rehabilitation strategies for individuals with neurological disorders by incorporating tools such as motion-capture systems and functional magnetic resonance with dance/movement therapy.